Connector strip



Sept. 18, 1956 P. E. CLINGMAN 2,763,346

CONNECTOR STRIP Filed June 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Pau/ E.C//ngm an United States Patent CONNECTOR STRIP Paul E. Clingman, Dayton,Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1953, Serial No. 360,475

4 Claims. (Cl. 189-78) This invention relates to elastomeric strips andmore particularly to elastomeric strips adapted to sealingly connectsheet-like panels in an edge to edge relation.

Various forms of mounting strips are now used for connecting sheet-likepanels, examples of these being disclosed in Eichne-r Patent 2,189,138,and Geyer Patent 2,492,566, both assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention. While strips of this ltype have been found satisfactory inmany instances, difficulties have been frequently encountered inattaching the strips in position upon the connecting curved panels andparticularly when the panels are of relatively large size.

'Ph-is invention is directed to an improved mounting strip which can bemore effectively assembled 'between the panels to be connected andthereafter provide a uniformly tight and leak-proof seal between theconnected parts. Another strip of a somewhat similar type hereincontemplated is shown in patent application Ser. No. 360,474 which hasbeen assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

In carrying out this objective the body of the strip is provided withintegral means for holding a portion of the strip in a retractedposition when the portion is pivoted on an integral hinge to provide afree passage for an edge of a panel into a panel receiving groove formedin the strip during the assembly of panel vand strip means for holdingthe strip in sealing engagement with the panel after the connection isformed.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sealing stripof elastomeric material wherein a lip portion forming one of the wallsof one of a pair of opposed longitudinally extending grooves eachadapted to receive edge portions of parts to be joined therein is forcedinto a sealing engagement with the part when a iiller strip is insertedin a third longitudinally extending groove formed in the body of saidstrip between said opposed grooves and Ibears against a portion of thelip to yforce said wall portion thereof into tight sealing engagementwhen a margin of a part associated therewith andv wherein said stripincludes an integral means for holding said lip portion in a retractedposition whereby the wall portion thereof is held at an angle to openthe .groovewhereof it is a part, said holding means comprising a thinhinge-like section of elastomeric material whereon the lip is pivoted toa retracted position and correspondingly shaped surface portions on thethird groove and a surface portion of the lip respectively that areadapted to frictionally engage one another maintain the li-p in itsretracted position whereby the part holding groove is held open forpermitting unimpeded assembly of the strip and part therein.

Another advantage embodied in the present invention is to provide asealing strip particularly adapted to be used in connection withautomotive bodies and the like, which strip acts as a joining andsealing means between the body and the windshield or therear window ofthe automobile and has a portion thereof adapted to -be held in aretracted position, to permit a margin of one part to y Patented .sepa1s, 195s ICC 2. be joined by the strip t-o readily pass into a grooveduring assembly of a part and the strip.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a cross-section view in perspective of a sealing strip witha portion of a groove therein opened for receiving a part.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section view in perspective of a strip in Fig. l witha part joined and sealed therein.

Fig. 3 in lperspective shows a rear window of an automobile as joinedand sealed to a body portion with a strip yaccording to the presentinvention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on lines 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of one modification of a sealingstrip with a portion of a groove opened for receiving a part therein.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the strip shown in Fig. 6 with thestrip in a part engaging position.

Sealing or connecting strips are widely used, particularly lin theautomotive field as a means for joining and sealing edges of parts. Oneof the most common usages of such connecting or sealing strips is inconnection with automobile bodies wherein the strip not only joins theglass portion to the body but also seals the glass and the body againstthe elements. Examples of this type of strip are shown in a patent to R.H. Chilton 2,623,250 and lohn T. Marvin 2,654,919, assigned to theassignee of the present invention. It is apparent this type of mountingis very economical and is adapted to permit the replacement of a pane ofglass when required. It has been rfound that the installation of glasswithin sealing strips of this type is often diflicult, particularly inthe modern automotive vehicles wherein a large pane or sheet of curvedglass forming the rear window or Windshield of the vehicle, as shown inFig. 3, is inserted in aperture in the vehicle body. To accomplish thisconnection various expedients have been used to hold open the groovesduring the assembly of the parts. One of these methods has been toassemble the strip around the body opening, circumferential'ly wrap acord under tension about one of the lips of the glass receiving grooveso as to maintain the groove in an open position so that the glass orpanel may be inserted therein and then re-` move the cord to permitclosing of the groove.

The present invention is directed to the elimination: of difficulties offorming this connection by using a sealing strip wherein the particularconiiguration of certain portions of the strip permits a panel receivinggroove to, be maintained in an open position during assembly of' theglass panel within the vehicle body.

In the form shown in Fig. l, the connector strip 24y of elastomericmaterial has a uniform cross-section throughout its length and isadapted to mount margins of a glass panel 20 upon a margin of arelatively thin metal panel 22, for example the curved rear window orwindshield in a suit-able aperture in an automotive body as shown inFig. 3. A garnish molding 30 is provided if desired to furnish anornamental appearance to the strip when it is in place on the vehicle-which molding is adapted to be attached to the strip by means of groove31.

The body portion 24 of the strip has two pairs of lip portions 32 and 34of one pair forming a panel 20 receiving groove 26 and the portions 35and 3S oppositely disposed to lips 32 and 34 arranged to form anothergroove 28 that is in opposed relation to groove 26 and` adapted toreceive a margin of panel 22 therein. A.

third groove 40, located between opposed grooves 26 and 28, preferablyextends into the main body portion of strip 24 beyond a projection ofeither of the opposed grooves 26 and 28 is shaped and located to providea thin section 42 of resilient material between groove 28 and groove toform a longitudinally extending flexible hinge portion around which lip38 may be pivoted without hindrance. A surface 44 formed on the upperinner surface of groove 40 is shaped to have a correspondingconfiguration to the outer surface portion 46 of lip 38 and is arrangedto form a nested frictional engagement therewith and maintain the lip 38in a retracted position when ythe lip 38 is pivoted on hinge portion 42into the position shown in Fig. 1. When lip 38 is in this position asurface 51, forming one wall of groove 28, will be substantially atright angles to a surface 43 on lip 3S which forms another portion ofgroove 28 so as to open groove 28 and perm-it a panel 22 to be readilypassed without hindrance therein. When the lip 38 is released from thisposition it pivots downwardly to bring surface 48 in engagement withpanel 22 so that a filler strip 50 of iiexible material may be insertedin groove 40 to bear against and force lip 38 into tight sealingengagement with panel 22.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a modification of the above strip is shown wherein lip38 is securely maintained in groove 40 when a rib portion 52 formed onlip 38 is received in a notch portion 54 formed in the surface 44 ofgroove 40 to hold the lip'38 in a retracted position when surfaces 44and 46 frictionally engage each other and rib 52 seats and locks withinnotch 54. In the embodiment shown a filler strip 56 may be provided witha ridge 58 that is adapted to be received in notch 54 thereby improvingthe locking engagement therebetween and more securely maintaining thefiller strip with groove 40. It is apparent that this structure of thefiller strip 56 is optional and that when used may be constructed andarranged for increasing the locking thereof in groove 40 and increasethe bearing pressure of lip 38 against the part.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, a curved pane of glass 66 ofsubstantial size is shown as mounted in an aperture 64 of a body portion62 of an automobile. This pane of glass may be readily installed inaperture 64 if a strip according to the present invention is employed.The strip may first be applied to the peripheral portion of the glasspanel 6() to form a circumferential boundary therefor. Surface 46A oflip portion 38A may then be placed in a retracted position in groove 40Aso that groove 2SA is opened and has its Walls at right angles to eachother. The pane of glass 60 and its attached strips 24A may then bereadily inserted within the aperture 64 of the body 62 and when inposition will be secured therein when the lip 38A is released from itsengagement in groove 40A and a filler strip 50A is applied to bearagainst lip 38A and thus join the panels of the respective parts. It isreadily apparent that the installation procedure may be reversed so thatthe strip is first applied to the body 62 of the vehicle and the glasspane 60 may be installed in a suitable glass receiving groove held openin a manner heretofore described.

It is manifest that the material of the sealing strip may be of anysuitable elastomeric material, such as, rubber, synthetic rubber, suchas butadiene-styrene copolymers, butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers,polychloroprene, compatible mixtures of the above materials, plasticcompounds, such as, certain of the vinyls, etc., the only requirementsbeing that the material is sufiiciently springy and rubberlike so thatit will be stretched so as to permit unimpeded movement of the thinhinge portion and to form a satisfactory interlock with the material ofthe filler strip which may be of the same material as thc main bodystrip or any other material suitable for forming a locking engagementwithin the groove in the elastomeric part and for deforming portionsthereof so as to provide a tight seal between the strip and the panel.Strips of this character may be made by molding or extrusion or anyother satisfactory production method and may be compounded so as to formany color combination desired. Further the strip may be used to join twopanels of wood, metal, glass, etc., or any combination thereof. the useof such strips not being limited to glass metal combinations alone. Itis understood that variations in width of grooves must be carried out tomeet specific installation requirements.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. In an elastomeric sealing strip having two pairs of lips defining apair of oppositely disposed grooves on opposite sides of a strip bodythat are adapted to sealingly connect margins of panels to be joinedtherein a means for holding one of said lips in a retracted position forfacilitating the assembly of the strip and panel and a separate meansfor holding said one lip in a panel engaging position, said firstmentioned means comprising; a lip hingedly joined to said strip body, asurface portion having a predetermined configuration on said lip and asurface portion on said body adapted to interloekingly engage saidsurface on said lip when said lip is in said retracted position.

2. The sealing strip as set forth in claim l wherein a continuouslongitudinally extending notch portion is provided on one of thecomplementary surfaces and a continuous longitudinally extending rib isprovided on the other surface whereby said rib is received in said notchfor holding said lip portion when said lip is at right angles to saidother grooves.

3. A sealing strip adapted to seal and join two sheetlike parts,comprising a longitudinally extending body portion of elastomericmaterial of uniform cross section, having a pair of longitudinallyextending lips extending along one edge of said body and a second pairof longitudinally extending lips extending along another edge andsubstantial-ly removed from said first pair of lips, said pairs of lipsproviding a pair of opposed grooves at opposite sides of said bodyextending longitudinally throughout the length thereof that are adaptedto sealingly connect margins of panels to be joined therein, the grooveformed by the first pair of lips being wider than the groove formed bythe second pair of lips and having one longitudinal edge thereofsubstantially in the same plane as one edge of said second groove, athird longitudinally extending groove disposed between one of the lipsof each pair of lips on one side of said body, a separate meansinsertable into said third groove for holding both of the lips on saidone side of said body in a panel engaging position, and a means forholding one of the lips on said one side of said body in a retractedposition for facilitating the assembly of the strip and panel, saidmeans comprising; a resilient hinge connection between the body and thelip to be retracted, a surface portion of predetermined con-figurationincluding a rib on said retracted lip and a surface portion ofpredetermined configuration including a notch on said third grooveadapted to interlockingly engage said surface on said one lip when saidlip is in said retracted position.

4. An elastomeric sealing strip for sealing and joining adjacent marginsof two sheet-like parts, comprising in combination, a main body strip ofelastomeric material having a pair of continuously extendinglongitudinal lips integrally formed defining a. continuouslongitudinally extending groove therebetween for snugly receiving amargin of one of the sheet-like parts therein, a second pair ofcontinuous longitudinally extending lips in opposed relation to saidfirst pair of lips defining a second continuous longitudinally extendinggroove in opposed relation and opposite to said first groove for snuglyreceiving a second sheet-like part therein, a third continuouslongitudinally extending groove oriented substantially at comprising; asurface portion of predetermined coniigura- 10 tion including anenlargement on said one lip and a surface portion of predeterminedconfiguration cooperable with said enlargement on said third grooveadapted to interlockingly engage said surface on said one lip when said`lip is in said retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,189,138 Eichner Feb. 6, 1940 2,288,329 Smith June 30, 1942 2,469,183Small May 3, 1949

